About the MeetMarket
2026 will be the 21st edition of MeetMarket - entries will open on 5 November 2025.
The MeetMarket is one of the world’s largest documentary markets. Selected projects will have the opportunity to meet with international industry representatives among 150+ international funders, broadcasters, distributors, festival programmers and international sales agents, across film, television, and digital platforms. The MeetMarket offers a unique way to pitch your project through thirty-minute curated meetings between pitchers and industry representatives for creative and financial discussions. It is open to all documentary makers, local and international, and we welcome applications from established, emerging as well as first-time filmmakers.
Projects can be in any form, ranging from feature-length documentaries to series. The MeetMarket is not for completed projects which have already premiered or short films.
This year, we especially encourage submissions from creators whose film ideas are rooted in podcast storytelling. If your documentary project originates from a podcast, whether it’s an investigative series, a personal narrative, or an audio documentary, we welcome you to share it as part of your application. Such projects offer a compelling proof of research, tone, and storytelling craft, helping potential commissioners, funders, and collaborators envision how your story can evolve on screen. Your podcast can serve as an early blueprint for your film, showcasing your access, authenticity, and creative voice.
We have two categories: MeetMarket projects in Development and Production, and MeetMarket Rough Cut Presentations. For all MeetMarket projects, you will have curated meetings over two days. For those in the Rough Cut category, in addition to the curated meetings, there will also be a presentation to industry representatives where you have the opportunity to show a 15-minute preview of your project, along with a short presentation.
Our market give you the chance to meet with the likes of A+E, Al Jazeera, ARTE, BBC Storyville, Bertha Foundation, Channel 4, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Curzon, Doc Society, Dogwoof, Field of Vision, Ford Foundation, The Guardian, Hot Docs, Mubi, National Geographic, Netflix, The New York Times, PBS, Pulse Films, Sandbox Films, SKY, Submarine Entertainment, Sundance Institute, Universal, and many more companies and organisations who are looking to support and invest in new works of documentary storytelling.
What are we looking for?
We warmly invite submissions that showcase the diverse and expansive nature of the documentary genre. We are keen to consider projects that appeal to a wide spectrum of viewers, from mainstream audiences to highly specialised niche groups. This includes, but is by no means limited to, the following categories:
- Observational: These documentaries are characterised by their commitment to capturing real-life moments as they naturally unfold, with minimal interference from the filmmaker. The camera acts as a silent observer, allowing events and human interactions to dictate the narrative, often resulting in a raw and authentic portrayal of reality.
- Experimental / Hybrid: This category embraces innovative projects that blend the traditional documentary form with elements from other media. This can include incorporating fictional narratives, animation, abstract visuals, or other artistic expressions to create a unique and often thought-provoking cinematic experience that challenges conventional storytelling.
- Poetic: Poetic documentaries prioritize mood, tone, and visual storytelling over a strictly linear or traditional narrative structure. They often use evocative imagery, symbolic representation, and a lyrical approach to convey emotions and ideas, inviting the audience to experience the subject matter on a deeper, more sensory level.
- Expository: Expository documentaries are designed to inform and educate the audience through a clear and direct presentation of facts. They typically employ narration, interviews with experts or subjects, and archival footage to construct a persuasive argument or provide a comprehensive overview of a particular topic.
You can see more detailed info on topics HERE.
Projects that have been part of the MeetMarket in previous editions include: All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen), Searching for Sugarman (Malik Bendjelloul), A Night of Knowing Nothing (Payal Kapadia), One Child Nation (Nanfu Wang), The Edge of Democracy (Petra Costa), Tish (Paul Sng),The Silence of Others (Almudena Carracedo), Stray (Elizabeth Lo), Mayor (David Osit), Nothing Compares (Kathryn Ferguson), Shooting the Mafia (Kim Longinotto), The Square (Jehane Noujaim), God Loves Uganda (Roger Ross Williams), The Territory (Alex Pritz), 5 Broken Cameras (Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi), A Family Affair (Tom Fassaert), The Act of Killing / The Look of Silence(Joshua Oppenheimer), Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (Stanley Nelson Jr.), Unrest(Jennifer Brea), Bobbi Jene (Elvira Lind), The Story of Film (Mark Cousins), plus many others that have found their funding partners in the market and audiences via connections with theatrical distributors, festival programmers, broadcast and SVOD executives.
If you have any enquiries regarding the MeetMarket, please email our Industry team on industry@sheffdocfest.com
